Principals Expand Role Beyond Buses and Bells

The school improvement spotlight has, in recent years, shone
brightly on teachers. Just outside of the spotlight, yet wielding
significant influence in schools, are principals.

“We need to take more seriously that school leadership really
matters,” said Jason Grissom, an associate professor of education
and public policy at Vanderbilt University who has studied the
subject.

But what are the key ingredients of effective principals, and how
should they spend their time? Grissom provided an overview of his
research findings during a panel discussion titled “The
Power of the Principal” at the Education Writers Association’s
2017 annual conference in Washington, D.C.

Effective principals have good management skills, such as
budgeting and creating a positive work environment. Management is
distinct from administration, such as paperwork, which many
principals spend too much time on, Grissom said.

Principals find success by focusing on instructional
leadership, and paying attention to learning through coaching,
feedback and support. Studies have shown principals spend only
about 13 percent of their time on this, Grissom said, which is
too low.

Top principals are strong talent managers, hiring, assigning
and retaining strong teachers. “Shaping the quality of the people
in their buildings is a big thing that principals do,” Grissom
said.

One thing that often gets ignored, Grissom suggested, is ensuring
principals are trained to do these things well.

Several principals who have been recognized for their strong
leadership shared their views on how to create the balances that
Grissom’s research supports.

“There are many hats that the principal has to wear, but the most
important hat is the instructional [leader],” said Nathaniel
Provencio, the principal of Minnieville Elementary School in
Woodbridge, Va. Provencio was named 2016-17 Principal of the Year
by The Washington Post.

He said good principals can focus on that aspect during the
school day by taking care of administrative and managerial
responsibilities when students aren’t present. That frees them to
work alongside teacher teams and make sure best practices are
taking place, such as reviewing lessons and assessments, and
going over individual student needs.

“We continually do that through the whole year so at the end of
the year there’s no surprises,” Provencio said.

The principal also has to recognize she can’t do all the work
alone, said Marcy Leonard, the principal of Hammond High School
in Columbia, Md. It’s critical to “build the leadership capacity
in everyone else in the building,” from assistant principals on
down, Leonard said. A clear mission and goals keep everyone on
the same page, she added, with the principal managing the team.

“Everyone has a responsibility,” agreed Anita Berger, the
principal of Banneker High School in Washington, D.C. “I position
people around me that are smarter than I am. They are my thought
partners.”

The effort to develop a strong team with a shared direction takes
time, all agreed. Grissom posited that principal turnover is “bad
for schools.” But if it has to happen, he said, districts should
have a clear strategy for moving leaders.

“It takes three years, five years, six years … before you can say
that school is theirs,” he said.

Berger, who was named the 2016 Principal of the Year by the
District of Columbia Public Schools, said a principal deserves at
least three years to “do your mission.” If they want to leave
after one year, she added, “the job is not for them.”

Leonard said it took her nearly six years to figure out how to
have the right conversations with her students, parents and
community members. It wasn’t always easy, she said, being the
“little white woman” dealing with race issues in a predominantly
poor, minority community.

But given time, she found ways to create the space for students
to meet their goals. It often meant helping them create an agenda
that is kid-driven, filled with their voices.

Teachers and staff also need to have opportunities to ask
questions and raise concerns, and know the principal is listening
and will respond — even if the answer is “no,” Leonard added.

Just don’t go in looking for a Joe Clark, said Provencio,
referring to the New Jersey high school principal made famous by
the movie “Lean on Me.” Clark “actually was a horrible
principal,” he said, who did not pursue sustained improvement
over time.

The best principal will create a system that can survive even
after he’s gone, Provencio said. “You never know where you’re
going to be from year to year.”

For all the latest news on school leadership, be sure to visit
EWA’s School
Leadership topics page.

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